Dear Neighbors,
WDE Landfill Funding
On Wednesday, the governor signed our bonding bill into law. The great news is it contains $6 million for the WDE Landfill clean-up. I want to say a big thank you to all the local officials – like Andover Mayor Julie Trude and City Administrator Jim Dickinson – and local residents who’ve been advocating for this funding. I’m so happy we got this over the finish line!
Family Law Bill Signed
Near the end of session, the governor signed my family law legislation. The bill is common sense legislation that allows unmarried parents to file a joint petition. Currently, joint petitions are allowed for divorcing couples. This allows the parents to work out a parenting plan and other negotiations and present it to the court. This can reduce the animosity between couples, saves them money, and generally has better outcomes for the children. Current law does not allow for this valuable method of resolving custody and parenting time matters for unmarried parents. Now that this is signed into law, it can make this difficult process a little easier on parents.
Health Care Transparency
Another bill signed into law, SF3480, requires increased transparency for good-faith estimates of payments, including fees and additional charges, for health care providers and health plan companies. Also, it ensures primary care providers make the prices of commonly billed services publicly available. These measures provide greater cost transparency to Minnesotans seeking health care services and better enables Minnesotans to make cost-informed health care decisions.
Free Veteran Dental Care
As a reminder: Saturday, June 9 is an important day for our veterans. It's a chance for vets to receive free dental care at one of 450 Aspen Dental-branded practices in the US. Most veterans don’t receive dental benefits through the VA, so this is a time for our heroes to receive the care they need. For more information on the event, please click here.
Local Events
With the start of summer, we’re starting to see some fun, outdoor events throughout our area. One such event is the Coon Rapids Splash Pad Grand Opening on Tuesday, June 12. This is the opening of the city’s first splash pad, and will feature free ice cream for all! The event is from 6:30-8:00pm at Boulevard Plaza, 11000 Crooked Lake Blvd, Coon Rapids, MN 55433. Click here for more info.
It may seem far away, but the Andover Family Fun Fest on July 13 and 14 will be here before you know it. They’re always looking for volunteers, so if you want to spend some time serving your community, you can click here. The link also includes information on some of the events like the craft and gift show and the Andover 5K.
Please Contact Me
Even though we’re out of session, I’d still like to hear from you with any ways I can be of service. Feel free to call or email my office and I’ll get right back to you.
Enjoy the weekend,
Peggy